Why?

I confess that I get frustrated and ticked at times when too many of my kids and their mom’s don’t do anything! I can’t fathom what it would be like to be unemployed and destitute. I also can’t understand how incredibly frustrating it would be for a teen to have a parent that can’t keep a job, is always moving between friends and always has ready made excuses for everything. I grew up with two parents that were always there for me. We always had a nice home and lots of friends around us that lent to have normal be something that was awesome looking back. I know that my parents fought on occasion but I never had the challenge of being evicted from a house or apartment and having no place to go or having my dad or mom just vaporize.

I had a call from a recruiter lady yesterday that had great news for one of my moms. Yes, you have a good job if you will call back, officially accept it and be ready to go on Monday. The challenge is that the mom’s phone is turned off, she doesn’t return messages from her daughter, or me so what will happen? If I were to talk to this individual in any form or fashion she would react to me by saying this is none of your business, even though I have housed, clothed and fed her kids often over the last 6 years.

I have another teen in my group who always ends up not enrolled in school. He has a temper and tends to overact to most people around him. So it is easy to seem him suspended during the first week of school. Last year he ended up at a prison like school that had herculean like security that had to frisk you and keep anything you brought to school. They actually had Social Workers for all of the students. This was a behavioral school so they actually had permission from the parents and the state to physically control the students.

It has now been 5 weeks since school started and my teen is still not enrolled. The excuses range from I can’t go back to my old school because I’ll get into a fight. I ask the obvious did you talk to your main teacher and social worker about this??? NO. Why not? The response is always I can’t go back I’ll get in trouble and then end up in jail or detention. I have bugged him almost everyday the last few weeks with no response. He had attempted to do an online school out of Florida but it requires that you follow through, i.e. mom calls and talks to admin person. I know this won’t happen.

Last night during tutoring I have a new mom, who is African American that is helping out and is bringing her teen gals. I have placed some of my African American teens with her because she understands their circumstances and recently came to faith and also lost a son to gang violence. I loved watching her asking questions and listening. The reality, which is sad, it is so much easier to do nothing, make excuses and stay in the same situation. I can’t fathom that I would accept this type of situation but most of these teens don’t have a choice.

Yeah, I got frustrated, mad, ticked off, pissed off, your name it as I watch too many throw their lives away because an adult that should actively be there is too busy doing nothing but has no time for their kid. I’m thankful for this one mom who is helping make a difference with God’s help and powerful presence.